Physical Education Games and Fitness Activities for All Personalities

“Physical Education Games and Fitness Activities for all Personalities”

VAHPERD Convention, Nov. 9-11, 2012

Janet Kennedy, Sedgefield Elementary School, Southern District PE Teacher of the Year, 2012

Susan McAuliffe, Newport News Public Schools, VAHPERD Adapted PE Teacher of the Year, 2012

Jennifer Mulrine, McIntosh Elementary School Teacher of the Year 2011

Rebecca Shaffer, Hilton Elementary School, Newport News, VA

Pedometer Tag (4-5)

Skill: cardiovascular endurance, fitness, chasing, fleeing, math place value (number sense)

Equipment: pedometer for each student reset to 0

Formation: players scattered though out the gym in open space, 10 hula hoops (5 spread out at each end of the gym or playing area)

Description: On the teacher’s signal all students begin jogging in place for one minute to build up the step count on their pedometers. At the end of one minute the teacher will signal to the players to being the tag game. They may choose to chase another player or to flee from other players. Once someone is tagged, both players stop and face each other. They open their pedometers and compare step counts. The player with the highest count will continue to stay in the game while the player with the lower count will retreat to a hula hoop to “recharge.” This consists of jogging in place for the count of 100 to build up their step number. Students DO NOT RESET their pedometers at any time nor shake them. Players should always close their pedometers after a comparison and before resuming the game. I love this activity because my students always want to covertly open their pedometers and check their step count before the end of class. Now they get to open it frequently and, seemingly enough, it provides more incentive for them to keep active.

Chicken to the Rescue (K-1)

Skill: running, chasing, fleeing

Equipment: 6 rubber chickens, 6 hula hoops

Formation: three players are taggers (designated by a foam ball, noodle, scarf, etc.), the rest of the players are scattered throughout open space, 6 hula hoops with a rubber chicken inside are spread out around the gym

Description: On “Go,” taggers may chase any player and give them a “safe” tag using a ball, scarf, noodle, etc. Once a player is tagged they must stop running and begin flapping their “wings.” This is to signal other players that they need to be rescued. To rescue a tagged player, a student must go to a hula hoop, pick up a rubber chicken and take it to the tagged player. The saved player accepts the rubber chicken and returns it to an empty hula hoop before returning to the game. Rescuing players need to be careful that they don’t get tagged during the rescue process but a saved player who is carrying the rubber chicken back to a hula hoop is safe (cannot be tagged) until the chicken is dropped off. Taggers may not babysit the hoops with rubber chickens. I love this game because the rescuer is using a manipulative as well as the tagger so there is more incentive to participate.

Aliens and Humans (K-1)

Skills: running, hand dexterity, chasing, fleeing

Equipment: 1 scarf/flag for every player, small cones

Formation: five taggers (aliens), the remaining players are humans and each receives a scarf, cones form a small circle in the center of the gym

Description: The game begins with five alien taggers (players without scarves), the remaining players, humans, wear scarves/flags tucked into the side of their pants/shorts/skirts (not the front or the back – scarf should be hanging down and showing clearly), to become humans the aliens need to steal a scarf, after which they may to the “alien mutation chamber” (circle of cones in center of the gym), they circle the scarf over their heads three time, safely tuck the scarf into their pants and then come back into the game, NO ONE may enter the alien mutation chamber unless they are changing into a human (so no running through or using the center for a short cut), the player who lost the scarf is the new alien and runs after other humans, she cannot steal the scarf from the same person who stole hers. This is a very fast paced game and breaks might be necessary.

Tips: Humans may not hold on to their scarves when chased by aliens, there should be no pushing tripping or grabbing humans in an effort to steal their scarves, if a human drops scarf while running, aliens are allowed to pick it up and become humans.

Variation: To add some manipulative challenge, give each player a playground ball to dribble as they play the game. (Ronald Dienstmann – Games for Motor Learning, 111 fun activities for growing brains)

I love this game for my kindergartner as in introduction to chasing and fleeing. Tag games are such a difficult concept for them as they tend to run directly in front of the tagger in hopes of being tagged or getting the tagging tool. This game alleviates that problem completely and keeps the students in constant motion. BIG PLUS – there is no crying when a scarf is pulled since it’s so easy to get another scarf. This is the activity that my students ask to play over and over.

Flip-Flop (K-3)

Skills: cardiovascular fitness, core strength

Equipment: music

Organization: scatter the children around the area in a large oval

Procedure: The children jog around the oval in one direction. Every 15 to 30 seconds when a signal is given, the children all drop, touch their stomachs to the ground, flip over, touch their back to the ground, then get up and begin jogging again in the opposite direction.

Variations: Instead of jogging, students use different locomotor movements to move around the oval. To help develop muscular strength and endurance children to an exercise (e.g., push-ups, sit-ups) each time they flip flop. I really like this activity because it prevents the students from racing each other and they tend to laugh a lot during the flip flop – lots of fun! (Curt Hinson, Fitness for Children)

Crazy Cones (Spots) or Ups & Downs, as I call it. (K-3) Also, called Builders and Bulldozers

Skills: cardiovascular fitness, teamwork

Equipment: music, cones or polyspots with numbers or letters on them (40-50)

Organization: scatter cones around the area, with half standing and half lying down. Divide the children into two groups and scatter them around the area.

Procedure: When the music begins, Group A tries to knock down all cones that are standing, while Group B tries to stand up all cones that are lying down. After 30 to 45 seconds the groups switch roles. The activity continues with the roles of the groups continually switching.

My Variation – Ups and Downs: Use numbered or lettered polyspots instead of cones. It levels the playing field (I love this) because it is much easier to knock down cones then to stand them up. With polyspots there is no difference when you turn them over. Group A will turn polyspots letter/number UP and Group B will turn polyspots letter/number DOWN. I have my Kindergarten students say the letters/numbers aloud as they turn over the polyspots.

Tips: Although there are two teams, the object is not to determine a winner or loser. Avoid focusing on the status of the cones/polyspots; instead, keep the activity moving. Caution the children to watch out for other while moving through general space. Watch for children who may kick or knock cones over violently. (Curt Hinson, Fitness for Children)

Have you ever…?- Make a circle with carpet squares or markers. There should be a marker for all but one player. Have all students stand on the markers. The “leftover” player goes to the middle. Once in the middle that player asks a question that they believe can be answered affirmatively by many students. For example they can ask “Who has ever eaten cold pizza?” Everybody who has eaten cold pizza must run for an empty square. One cannot go to a square directly to their right or left. There will be another player who does not have a marker. That player goes to the circle and asks a question and the game resumes.

Breakfast-Dinner-Dessert- Use 3 evenly spaced lines in your gym as the playing field. The larger the field the better! Make the first line the Breakfast line, the second and middle line is the Dinner line, and the last line is the Dessert line.

Have students start on Breakfast line. Call out various food items and the students run to that line. For example, yell out “Last one to hot fudge sundae!” The last student to that line (or to run over that line) has to do 5 jumping jacks (or other chosen exercise). After students get hang of the game…trick them! If they are already on that line call a Breakfast item…everyone who steps off the line has to do the penalty! Or make it harder call 2 or 3 items in a row that they have to run correctly.

Human Foosball- You play this just like the game Foosball, but on your gym floor. Students can move left or right on their line but not forward or backwards. Taping out the positions and lines previous to game is essential.

Ninja Noodle- Person in the center of a shoulder to shoulder circle made up of the rest of the class, has a ½ a noodle, they swing the noodle high or low around the circle without touching anyone. People in circle have to duck or jump depending on high or low swing. The person in the middle can get tricky!

Afro Circus Dance

Equipment: Radio, song “Afro Circus/I Like to Move it”, by Chris Rock and Danny Jacobs

Have you ever seen the movie Madagascar 3? If you haven’t, you better believe your students have. There is a scene in the movie where Marty, the zebra, joins the circus. He puts on a rainbow afro and sings the Afro Circus song. Your kids know it, trust me!

I present the dance by first asking, “Has anyone see the movie Madagascar 3?” Then I remind them about the part where Marty joins the circus. By now the kids are all singing the song. “That’s right”, I say. We are going to dance to the Afro Circus Song.

The Dance

• Part 1

Funky Legs- 4 counts (starting immediately after you press play)

Arms in Air- 4 counts

Cabbage Patch- 4 counts (2 times around)

Arms down left, arms down right, arms up left, arms up right – 4 counts (polka dot, polka dot, polka dot, afro.)

• Part 2

Grapevine right clap and left clap(5 times)

Jumping Jacks (8)

Circle-16 counts (I tell mine students to get their lasso out and circle 3 times)

• Repeat Part 1 (twice)
• Part 2
• Grapevine 4 times
• Play Drums (16 counts)
• Jumping Jacks (8)
• Part 1 (3 times)

Pay to Play

This activity is appropriate for elementary students, but the concepts could be used for any grade level. Students are given the opportunity to decide which activity they would like to participate in. Students will earn and spend PE dollars on activities. This activity incorporates many important skills including math, time management, business etiquette, and most importantly it keeps students active and excited about physical activity.

Equipment:6-8 cones with the dollar amount of the activity on it, radio, paper money, and any equipment you would use for the stations.

DESCRIPTION:

The basic idea of this game is that the students run laps to earn money so that they can pay to play the activity of their choice. For each lap that they run, they earn $1. Students may run as many laps as they want, but may not collect more than $5 at a time. Students collect their money from the BANKER. When the student earns enough money to play the activity, he/she must pay the ACTIVITY DIRECTOR. The activity director will allow that person to play once they have paid the correct amount for the activity. The activity director is also in charge of the amount of people at an event. I usually put a limit, for example: free throws can only have 4 people; jump rope can have up to 6 people. They may stay at the activity for as long as they want unless there are people waiting in line. After I explain the directions I have the students run 2 laps around the gym to “check out” the activities. I then have them go to the banker to collect $2 or they can continue to run. Make sure that they understand that the money is only good during that class and will be collected at the end. Talk to them about being honest about how many laps they ran. You will also need to give them $2 for running 2 laps and assign a banker and activity director. Make sure you pay the bankers and the P.E. Store managers for their time ($1 a minute) and rotate them every 5 minutes. Students will continue to earn and spend their P.E. dollars during class. At the end of class ask students to add up the money they have left. You can see who liked to save their money and who liked to spend it. Collect the money from students on their way out of the gym.

RULES:

1. For each lap completed the student will earn 1 P.E. Dollar.

2. Students may earn as much money as they would like but the banker will give out no more than $5 at a time. (No matter how many laps)

3. The students can spend the money on activities inside the track.

4. Students may stay at an activity for as long as they like. They only exception is if the activity is in high demand. The activity director can make the person that has been there the longest have to leave.

5. Students are to use good manners when at the Bank and Activity Director and wait in line to be called up to the table.

VARIATIONS:

1. Use debit cards (laminated construction paper) instead of money. Have the banker add money to their account and the P.E. Store managers subtract the money. They will need to have dry erase markers and tissues.

1. Jukebox – Make them pay for music. Create a list of songs that they can choose from and allow the students to choose the music.

1. Have sales/mark-ups on activities. If there seems to be an activity in high demand raise the price. If there is an activity not being used put it on sale.

1. Use P.E. Breaks – Have the students pay for water, bathroom, and resting.

1. Use P.E. Penalties – Have students pay fines for bad manners, bad sportsmanship, untied shoes, and resting without paying.

HELPFUL TIPS:

1. Make a menu listing the activities and prices and place it on the wall above the P.E. Store table.

2. Place poly spots in front of the Bank and P.E. Store so the students know where the line starts.

3. Place dollar amount signs on the cones beside each activity

(Activity was originally presented as “Fitness Currency” by Jason Runk.)

(Also adapted as “Banking on Fitness” by Janet Kennedy.)

McIntosh Scottie Warm-Up

This activity is used in an elementary school with grades 3-5 but can be adapted for middle schools as well. This is a warm-up activity that gets the students moving as soon as they get to PE. I chose a song that has a longer introduction so that my students can put their pedometer on before the warm-up actually starts.

Equipment: radio, any upbeat music of your choice, pedometers

Description:

I have nominated one student in each class to be the person who turns on the music. As soon as he/she gets their pedometer they immediately start the warm-up music. That gives the students about 30 seconds to get the pedometer on and do a shoe lace check. This warm-up incorporates all aspects of the Fitnessgram Fitness Test. We use jumping jacks and ski jumps for cardiovascular endurance; push-ups; curl-ups; stretching; and trunk lift. This warm-up is one of the ways that I prepare the students for Fitness Testing!

The WARM-UP!

• Jumping Jacks (4 front, 4 side, 4 back, 4 side)
• Ski Jumps (4 front, 4 side, 4 back, 4 side)
• Stretch- Right over Left (16 counts)
• Stretch- Left over Right (16 counts)
• Push-ups (students may hold push-up position; shoulder taps; or push-ups)
• Hurdle Stretch (right leg in, left leg out)
• Hurdle Stretch (left leg in, right leg out)
• Curl-Ups
• Trunk Lift (16 counts)
• Arm Stretch (tricep stretch- 8 counts and switch)
• Shoulder stretch (right arm 8 counts and switch)

My kids love this warm-up. They are excited about using the pedometers also. I do random pedometer checks after the warm-up and give prizes for the most steps! I have used many songs over the years: At the Hop, Jonas Brothers, Party Rock Anthem (kidz bop version) and this year the song is “Good Feeling” by Flo Rida. The music makes the warm-up! Choose something your students will love!